Children love to come to Brock to visit our research labs and participate in research!
ALL OF OUR STUDIES ARE:
WE ALSO PROVIDE:
INTERESTED IN A SPECIFIC STUDY?
If you see a study here below that you would like to participate in, please email growing@brocku.ca
Growing with Brock will send its members periodic invitations to our different study opportunities. However, we do have families who had so much fun when they came in, that they want to come back right away! We'd love to have you back as soon as possible. If you haven't received another invitation quickly enough and would like to come for another study, please feel free to email us as well.
- Age appropriate.
- Activities, tasks and games are designed to keep children engaged and having fun.
- A great free and educational activity to do with your family.
- Children are given a small prize for their participation.
- A great opportunity for children to learn about science and gain exposure to post-secondary education.
WE ALSO PROVIDE:
- Free and convenient parking to all families participating in research.
- Flexible scheduling - availability daytime, evenings, weekends & even school holidays to fit every family's busy schedule!
- Family waiting rooms, with toys for siblings to play with while they wait.
- Our labs are stroller accessible.
INTERESTED IN A SPECIFIC STUDY?
If you see a study here below that you would like to participate in, please email growing@brocku.ca
Growing with Brock will send its members periodic invitations to our different study opportunities. However, we do have families who had so much fun when they came in, that they want to come back right away! We'd love to have you back as soon as possible. If you haven't received another invitation quickly enough and would like to come for another study, please feel free to email us as well.
LIST OF CURRENT STUDIES FOR CHILDREN
Developing Memory and Cognition Lab
Why Young Children Forget - 3 to 4 year olds
In this study, 3 and 4 year old children will be asked to play a series of games that measure memory, self-regulation, and verbal ability online with an experimenter. The purpose of this study is to examine different reasons why children might forget to carry out a future intention.
Children will play fun games where they will be asked about pictures from the comfort and safety of their own home. The session takes 30 minutes in total. Children’s performance will be recorded via their computer’s webcam.
In this study, 3 and 4 year old children will be asked to play a series of games that measure memory, self-regulation, and verbal ability online with an experimenter. The purpose of this study is to examine different reasons why children might forget to carry out a future intention.
Children will play fun games where they will be asked about pictures from the comfort and safety of their own home. The session takes 30 minutes in total. Children’s performance will be recorded via their computer’s webcam.
Savings Behaviour - 3 to 6 year olds
The purpose of this research project is to examine the development of children’s saving across various types of saving behaviours that children may demonstrate in everyday life, such as the saving of a representation of money, objects, time, and physical space. We are also interested in how children’s saving may relate to their other everyday thinking abilities.
You will asked to complete three questionnaires: one about your family demographics, one about your child’s future thinking, and the other about you and your child’s saving
behaviours. Your child will play several saving games with a researcher that will ask them to play interactive games where children will have to follow instructions and respond to a verbal prompt from the experimenter. Finally, your child will be invited to play a future planning game, a numeracy game, an action game, and a word game.
This study will examine typically developing children (children without identified speech, language, hearing, social, or intellectual delays) aged 3- to 7-years who are fluent in English. This study should take about 60 minutes to complete. Your child’s performance will be video- and audio-recorded.
The purpose of this research project is to examine the development of children’s saving across various types of saving behaviours that children may demonstrate in everyday life, such as the saving of a representation of money, objects, time, and physical space. We are also interested in how children’s saving may relate to their other everyday thinking abilities.
You will asked to complete three questionnaires: one about your family demographics, one about your child’s future thinking, and the other about you and your child’s saving
behaviours. Your child will play several saving games with a researcher that will ask them to play interactive games where children will have to follow instructions and respond to a verbal prompt from the experimenter. Finally, your child will be invited to play a future planning game, a numeracy game, an action game, and a word game.
This study will examine typically developing children (children without identified speech, language, hearing, social, or intellectual delays) aged 3- to 7-years who are fluent in English. This study should take about 60 minutes to complete. Your child’s performance will be video- and audio-recorded.
Face Perception Lab
Storybook Study – 4 to 5 year olds
In this study, we will read two storybooks with your child, each about a main character going on an adventure (e.g., in outer space). As we read the stories, your child will collect pictures of the main character along the way. After each storybook, we will play a game in which your child will be asked to pick out pictures of the main character that got mixed in with pictures of other people.
The purpose of this study is to look at how children are able to learn a newly encountered face. The session will take about 1 hour.
In this study, we will read two storybooks with your child, each about a main character going on an adventure (e.g., in outer space). As we read the stories, your child will collect pictures of the main character along the way. After each storybook, we will play a game in which your child will be asked to pick out pictures of the main character that got mixed in with pictures of other people.
The purpose of this study is to look at how children are able to learn a newly encountered face. The session will take about 1 hour.
First Impressions with Child Faces - 6 to 9 year olds
The study involves answering questions about various child-friendly scenes and stories. It also involves completing three tasks looking at age-related development of basic skills that might underlie their judgements: inferential reasoning, trait recognition and trait understanding. The purpose of this study is to investigate how children interpret ambiguous situations involving child faces.
We are asking parents to assist their child in participating in this study by reading to them the instructions and by inputting their answers to each question.
The study should take about 30 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation, your child will receive our Junior Scientist award and your family will receive a $15 gift card to your choice of one of 5 establishments.
The study involves answering questions about various child-friendly scenes and stories. It also involves completing three tasks looking at age-related development of basic skills that might underlie their judgements: inferential reasoning, trait recognition and trait understanding. The purpose of this study is to investigate how children interpret ambiguous situations involving child faces.
We are asking parents to assist their child in participating in this study by reading to them the instructions and by inputting their answers to each question.
The study should take about 30 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation, your child will receive our Junior Scientist award and your family will receive a $15 gift card to your choice of one of 5 establishments.
Social Cognitive Development Lab
Children's understanding of 'let' versus 'make' - 3 to 5 years olds
In this study, children will read short stories and play several games (e.g. your child will be asked to lift cups to see what is hidden). We are interested in whether children interpret scenarios as someone 'letting' or 'making' them/a story character perform an action. This session will take approximately 20-30 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
Children's Moral Reasoning - 7 to 9 year olds
In this study, children will read stories about moral dilemmas (e.g. getting caught cheating on homework), and be asked, "what 'should' or 'could' the story character do?" We are interested in how children reason about moral dilemmas. This session will take approximately 30-40 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
Batman Study - 5 to 8 year olds
In the Batman Study, some children will dress up in a costume to explore whether children perform differently on a variety of tasks when they dress up as someone else. This session will take approximately 45 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
In this study, children will read short stories and play several games (e.g. your child will be asked to lift cups to see what is hidden). We are interested in whether children interpret scenarios as someone 'letting' or 'making' them/a story character perform an action. This session will take approximately 20-30 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
Children's Moral Reasoning - 7 to 9 year olds
In this study, children will read stories about moral dilemmas (e.g. getting caught cheating on homework), and be asked, "what 'should' or 'could' the story character do?" We are interested in how children reason about moral dilemmas. This session will take approximately 30-40 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
Batman Study - 5 to 8 year olds
In the Batman Study, some children will dress up in a costume to explore whether children perform differently on a variety of tasks when they dress up as someone else. This session will take approximately 45 minutes. The session will be recorded by video camera, and you will be invited to watch your child from the control room during the testing session.
